The Regenerative Effect of Portal Vein Injection of Liver Organoids by Retrorsine/Partial Hepatectomy in Rats

Abstract

In this study, we reveal that liver organoid transplantation through the portal vein is a safe and effective method for the treatment of chronic liver damage. The liver organoids significantly reconstituted the hepatocytes; hence, the liver was significantly enlarged in this group, compared to the monolayer cell transplantation group in the retrorsine/partial hepatectomy (RS/PH) model. In the liver organoid transplantation group, the bile ducts were located in the donor area and connected to the recipient bile ducts. Thus, the rate of bile reconstruction in the liver was significantly higher compared to that in the monolayer group. By transplanting liver organoids, we saw a level of 70% replacement of the damaged liver. Consequently, in the transplantation group, diminished ductular reaction and a decrease of placental glutathione S-transferase (GST-p) precancerous lesions were observed. After trans-portal injection, the human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived liver organoids revealed no translocation outside the liver; in contrast, the monolayer cells had spread to the lungs. The hiPSC-derived liver organoids were attached to the liver in the immunodeficient RS/PH rats. This study clearly demonstrates that liver organoid transplantation through the portal vein is a safe and effective method for the treatment of chronic liver damage in rats.